The Hope in Pink Opals
by Artemisdesari
Summary: Fili sighs as he stands from his chair, stretching out the kinks and knots from a day sitting at his desk reading reports. Had he known just how much more paperwork was involved in being Crown Prince of Erebor, as opposed to 'the lost kingdom of', he probably would have worked harder to get Thorin to forget the whole thing. Soul Stones Part 8


Fili sighs as he stands from his chair, stretching out the kinks and knots from a day sitting at his desk reading reports. Had he known just how much _more_ paperwork was involved in being Crown Prince of Erebor, as opposed to _'the lost kingdom of'_, he probably would have worked harder to get Thorin to forget the whole thing. It never seems to end, particularly on days after Thorin has heard the monthly petitions. As the mountain fills more Fili knows that such events will have to become a weekly occurrence, but even a year after Erebor was reclaimed they still haven't recovered all of her displaced people.

Some, of course, will never return. There are those who have made their homes elsewhere and are happy there. Others will take their place. In a recovering kingdom such as this there is plenty of work and opportunities for all. It is good to see the mountain coming to life, good to watch the restoration efforts increase in pace with the arrival of each new caravan. The architects, led by Bombur, have all agreed that even at their current pace it will be decades until the damage done by Smaug is corrected. That which _can_ be at any rate.

"You're going to be late," Ori informs him from the door.

Fili's friend has taken on a similar position with Fili as Balin has with Thorin. They, along with his mother, are the real power in the mountain. Thorin rules, of course, with Dis taking on the role of queen in the absence of a consort, but Balin and Ori are the ones who keep track of everything and make sure that Thorin, Fili and Kili are where they need to be armed with the appropriate information. That is slightly harder where Kili is concerned, primarily because he still isn't quite used to the loss of freedom that comes with being back in the mountain.

"So will you," Fili groans as he works out a kink in his neck with a satisfying pop.

"Yes, but I can blame _you_ and best of all your mother will believe me," Ori smirks. "She said to tell you that Arja is wearing the ruby and she wants Kili to know that Tir is wearing the emerald. Also, if he doesn't make his mind up about her by the end of tonight, Lady Dis is going to allow General Fuldin to approach her about a courtship."

"I'll tell him," Fili nods.

Though he and Kili no longer share a room they are next door to one another, and Fili quite often ends up weaving Kili's braids for formal events. There are a lot more of those than he had thought there would be. The sooner Kili and Tir make things official the better, as far as Fili is concerned. It has been seven months since Tauriel left on her travels, ample time for the rumours about the elf and the prince of the line of Durin to die down. At the moment the pair of them are sneaking around assuming that they are being discrete. They probably believe it because Thorin hasn't noticed yet, but that is only because Thorin rarely notices these things unless they are pointed out to him.

"He wouldn't _dare_," Kili hisses once Fili has passed on the message.

Fili tugs the braid he is fixing to remind his brother to keep still. Kili's hair has not improved since arriving in Erebor and is still as unruly as ever. Tonight, however, he needs to look like a prince at the victory celebration and that means that nothing less than perfection will do. Aside from their mother Fili has the most experience of wrangling Kili's hair into something resembling order and so it has fallen to him to ensure the right look is achieved. Both of them are dressed to match the 'dams they will be escorting to the party, with Fili in red and gold and Kili in green and silver. Fili thinks they actually look very festive next to one another and the four of them will certainly present a striking visual when they enter the great hall. Which is more then likely their mother's intention. If there is any doubt after such an entrance that Kili intends to ask Tir for a courtship (or already has) Fili will be surprised. Fuldin, however, has been quite single minded in his attempts at getting an opportunity to ask her himself, even to the extent that Tir tries to avoid him where she can.

"You know he would," Fili mutters. "And if he does you won't be able to apply to Amad and Thorin for permission for another six months after she refuses him." A rule that is in place for the sake of the 'dam as much as anything due to the low number of them.

Fili had written to Arja's parents for their consent to a courtship, since she had no relatives in Erebor at the time, though he had no doubts the answer would be positive. As a prince he was also supposed to ask Thorin's permission, so as not to cause any diplomatic incidents by jeopardising a politically advantageous match. Fili, knowing that no such match had been organised, had settled for _informing_ Thorin that it was all going to happen. The last year has, fortunately, softened Thorin towards Arja somewhat, helped by Nori's reports of public opinion.

According to Nori, the word is that the people of Erebor are thrilled that their Crown Prince hasn't forgotten his more humble beginnings or the debt owed to Mahal for the return of the mountain (not that any of them know just how close to the truth that sentiment is). Apparently, he honours both by marrying his One though she is of common stock. The lords of the council are unhappy, but they are also refusing to return to the mountain until their accommodations have been properly readied. No great loss as far as anyone is concerned but Fili still expects them to turn up any day. The longer they are away the more control over the mountain they lose, and he can't see them allowing that for too much longer.

Kili has often lamented over the last couple of months that he hadn't taken the same route as Fili and informed Thorin of his choice. So soon after Tauriel, however, was felt to be unwise by all aware of the situation. Not because Kili had really _loved_ the elf, more because no one wanted the implication that Tir had been found as a bride to prevent Kili from having more to do with Tauriel to surface. Besides, just because the pair of them had locked themselves in a cupboard for a time didn't mean that they had solved the root cause of their problem.

It had taken them several weeks, and more than one late night conversation with one or other of them, for Kili and Tir to finally work out how they wanted to proceed. Most importantly, to both of them, they wanted the spectre of Kili's short lived infatuation with Tauriel put behind them. Fili had counselled that they wait two years, knowing full well that it would be a minor miracle if they waited a year after being given that advice. If anything, it would push Kili to move a little bit faster and as he has dithered quite enough over Tir as it is (Fili has a number of memories of drunk Kili asking if she would accept him even though he wasn't her One) Fili was perfectly happy to give him that last nudge.

"You look about as much like a proper prince as you're ever going to," Fili informs his brother as he fastens the final braid. "Go and talk to Amad _now_, and if you're lucky she might give you five minutes with Tir before the party. At least make sure Tir _knows_ what you're planning before publicly asking Thorin's permission."

Kili nods and darts away almost before Fili has finished talking. The likelihood that Thorin would refuse to allow such a match, given Tir's status in Ered Luin and the fact that he had once entertained the idea that she marry Fili, is slim. That said, stranger things have happened in recent months. Fili checks his own braids before following, although his destination is one door past his mother's where Thorin will most likely found reading through his speech. His uncle _is_ reading through the speech written for him by Balin, a scowl on his face as he commits the words to memory. That is not a part of his future that Fili is particularly looking forward to, no matter how necessary it will be when he is king.

"Are you ready, Uncle?" Fili asks when Thorin acknowledges his presence with a smile. Things have changed now that they are in the mountain. Thorin's workload is greater but his uncle seems somehow more relaxed and free with his affections for his sister's sons. "Amad wants us all to go in together."

The absolute unity of the royal family is an image that Dis works very hard to promote within the mountain. She works especially hard to make sure of it before an event such as this and they have learned to follow her lead in it.

"As I will ever be," Thorin grumbles. He may be king, and he may have spent much of his life as the focus of the dwarves of Erebor, but Fili knows that his uncle misses the anonymity of the road and the freedoms it brought.

"We should go," Fili falls into step beside his uncle as they exit the room. "And Kili will be coming to talk to you this evening, about Tir."

"About time," Thorin rumbles. "Your mother has been complaining about Fuldin's persistence for weeks. I assume your brother is coming to me publicly to block the old sod before he tries anything." Fili makes a noise of assent. "I don't blame him. She's a good match, we would have made it years ago but for Nirdan."

"Nirdan won't _be_ a problem, will he?" Fili asks.

"No," Thorin smirks, "he gave your mother permission to match his daughter with whoever she felt was most appropriate to her rank. She's finally getting her way. I'll be hearing about it for _years_." Fili's laugh is quickly smothered by a cough as they come around a corner to find Dis and Arja. His mother winks at him gleefully and the four of them continue on together.

The celebration goes as planned, hardly a surprise when Dis, Balin and Tir have been involved in the organisation. It turns out that Tir has been extensively trained in this sort of thing, though she is a musician by craft, by her father. The cheers brought about by Thorin's speech are nothing in comparison to the announcement that both of the princes are courting and will likely be married in the next five years. The only thing that could make the dwarves of Erebor more secure is the establishment of the succession. Kili and Tir bask in the attention that they are given, although Fuldin isn't the only dwarf who looks put out about the fact that the prince has managed to secure one of the most eligible 'dams in the mountain before the rest of them have had a chance.

Fili, on the other hand, finds himself lost in the memories of _how_ the mountain was won. He finds himself remembering the fact that his brother and friend nearly lost their chance at this, he remembers that _he_ nearly lost a chance at the same thing. He quickly finds himself struggling with the celebration. For so many this is a time of joy. Not the day that Smaug was driven out of the mountain, but the day that the two huge armies of orcs and goblins were driven off by three smaller armies of Men, elves and dwarves. The day Erebor was secured for the line of Durin once more. He supposes it is, no matter _which_ of the two memories he has of the day he chooses to examine. Except that Fili still remembers what it feels like to die, he still remembers the terror that had gripped him and the icy burn of the blade through his back. He still remembers the agony and anguish of watching his brother's life be torn from him. He remembers seeing Thorin give up his life so that Azog might be removed from the world and even a year later there are days when he has to seek out his uncle and brother to make sure they are alive. Even a year later he half expects to wake and find everything he has gained has been snatched away.

He joins in with the merrymaking as much as he can, of course, because he doesn't even want to _attempt_ to explain it all to his mother and uncle. His heart isn't in it, though, and more often than not he ends up sat in silence, ale in hand while the party happens around him. If Kili notices he is too caught by others wishing to offer him courting advice, although at this point the courtship is merely a formality. Not that anyone realises it except Fili, Kili, Dis and Tir. She, too, is caught up by the throng, doubtless receiving all manner of advice about convincing Kili to marry her that little bit sooner. It's worse than when Fili's courtship became known, but only because there are now more people in the mountain.

Arja is the one to notice that he is quiet and withdrawn. She sits next him, mead in one hand and as she grips his free one tightly with the other. In truth, Fili is glad that the attention is all on Kili tonight. He isn't sure he could play his part satisfactorily were there more focus on _him_ instead. As it is, he only has to nod when Arja asks if he is remembering how it might have been. She doesn't ask him to elaborate, but she doesn't let him dwell over much either, even though she deflects attention from him when she can.

He realises, when it comes time that he can slip away without it being noticed or questioned, that he may have had one too many ales. He has been in far worse states in the past, of course, but not since they left Ered Luin. He is at least capable of escorting Arja to her room, when she admits that she is tired and would like to retire, and when they get there it seems like the most natural thing in the world to kiss her goodnight. It makes even more sense, as the memories fade away at the feel of her, to follow her into her room, lips still locked and hands fumbling with clasps and laces, and to kick the door closed behind him.

He wakes in the morning in an unfamiliar bed. His head is fuzzy, his mouth tastes of the foulness of stale ale and his clothes have been flung about haphazardly. There is a weight on his chest, another on his leg and his arm tingles faintly where he is beginning to lose the feeling in it. Arja lies curled against him, peaceful in sleep, fingers tangled in the coarse curls that cover his chest. He sighs, tightens his grip on her and drifts back to sleep.

Kili teases him mercilessly for _days_ after he encounters Fili on the way back to his room to change later that day. He could be content with that if it had been the _only_ outcome of that night.

Mahal must be having a great deal of fun at Fili's expense.

He doesn't see Arja for three days, though not for lack of trying. He's busy, so is she, and somehow their paths don't seem to cross. When they do, he cannot help but stare. There is a soft glow of gold to her abdomen and, when he looks closer, he can just make out a miniature collection of gems.

His mother is going to _kill_ him.

Slowly.

* * *

_**A.N: **__Because I'm not done being mean to Fili yet. Also, I wrote this doped up on painkillers as my dodgy shoulder has been bothering me so please ignore any unusual weirdness and bizarre typos. _

_I will be disappearing for a while in the next few days. I finally have a date to move house and so need to get packed up and moved to a place where I will have no internet for about a week. There are three stories left in this verse and while one might go up in the next couple of days it'll be a couple of weeks until I'm done. The same goes for Jewel of Durin._


End file.
